Haryana bans 'Dalit' word in official correspondence

Chandigarh, Jan 30 (UNI) As per the direction of National Commission for Scheduled Caste, the Haryana government has banned the use of 'Dalit' word in official correspondence.

While stating this here today, an official spokesman said the National Commission for Scheduled Caste had observed that some of the Ministries and Departments of the Central government as well as state government were using "Dalit" word as inter-changeable with the word Scheduled Caste in day to day correspondence.

He said that the Commission had observed that the word Scheduled Castes stands defined in the Constitution in Article 341 and 366.

However, the word Dalit was not having any legal sanctity either under the Constitution or under any law for the time being in force.

Therefore the Commission had desired the Central government and all the state government not to use "Dalit" word with the word Scheduled Caste in future.